Target Corporation offers several grants that provide funding on both national and local levels across a few key focus areas. Its two national programs support education and public safety. And within the education grants it offers, it awards three types of educational assistance for schools. Target also provides local funding for agencies and programs that support the arts and provide valuable social services in the community Target calls home, Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Target Education Grants
Of all the grant support Target provides, its education grants are probably what the program is most known for. Target Education Grants are yearly programs that pay for school funding projects. Funding is issued through three education grants: Arts, Culture and Design in Schools, Early Childhood Reading, and Field Trips.

Arts, Culture and Design in Schools Grants
Target offers this grant to bring arts and culture into the school setting to expose and engage students with hands on experiences with art. These grants are $2,000 and provide money that can be used for things like artist in residency programs, in-school performances and school art workshops. Applications are accepted for this program between March 1 and April 30 with programs taking place the following school year.

Early Childhood Reading Grants
Target also offers $2,000 grant amounts for the literacy arm of its education program. These grants are offered to schools, libraries and other non-profits that encourage children to develop a passion for reading. Grants are available for any programs that work with kids up to third grade. Applications are also accepted for this grant from March 1 to April 1 each year. Check out our listing of early childhood education grants for information on this and other similar grant programs.

Target Field Trip Grants
Target launched its field trip grants program in 2007 and has sent millions of school kids across America on a class field trip. Its become more difficult for schools to fund out of class learning experiences in recent years, so Target stepped in to provide resources for these trips to continue. Target Field Trip Grants are available to any K-12 school in the United States. If selected, Target will pay up to $700 in field trip funding. Applications are accepted annually between August 1 and September 30. Read more about grants for school field trips for information about this and other sources of field trip funding.

Target Public Safety Grants
Target Corporation offers grants for public safety efforts nationwide, donating $2.3 million in 2012 in the form of 800 grants. Grants are issued to public agencies and programs that deal with four focus areas.

Community preparedness

Crime prevention

Law enforcement education and training

Youth programs

Funding is used to sponsor events through National Night Out, pay for police department partnered holiday youth shopping sprees, assist several forensics labs and support many local programs across the United States. To apply for a Target Public Safety Grant, contact your local store’s Assets Protection Department.

Target Foundation Grants
In 1962, Target opened its first store in Roseville, Minnesota and continues to be headquartered to this day in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Target Foundation Grants provide local funding and are only offered within the seven county metro area. These grants support local arts and social services programs. Applications are accepted for arts grants between January 1 and February 1. Social services requests must be submitted between April 1 and May 1.

The local program is partnered with the Minnesota Cultural Data Project and to apply for any foundation grant you must first register your organization on the Minnesota CDP website. The data project coordinates area charity work and registration will also expose your group to other statewide funding sources.

If you have any additional questions about grants offered by target corporation that I have not covered here, consult the fairly extensive Target Grants FAQ on the company website.

Kipp is the Contributing Editor for Grantsguys.com, covering sources of potential funding in the world of grants. His mission is to assist people like you by locating and sharing private, non-profit and government grants. Got a question or a tip on a neat grant? Connect with him now at kippshives@grantsguys.com.
FacebookTwitterGoogle+